Camera-equipped cellular phone

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a portable telephone with camera having a camera  7  mounted as opposed to a camera window  22  provided on a casing. The casing is provided with an auxiliary light window  23  adjacent to the camera window  22 . Arranged in the rear of the auxiliary light window  23  is an auxiliary light source  8  for emitting light in photographing with the camera  7 . The camera window  22  is covered with a main optical cover  4 . The auxiliary light window  23  is covered with an auxiliary optical cover  5 . A light-shield surface  52  is formed between the main optical cover  4  and the auxiliary optical cover  5 . Consequently the degradation of picture quality when the camera  7  and the auxiliary light source  8  are arranged close to each other is prevented.

TECHINICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to portable telephones integrally equipped with a camera to allow the user to take a picture.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years portable telephones with camera have been in wide use. For example, a portable telephone with camera shown in FIG. 9 comprises an upper half case 20 and lower half case 30 which are connected by a hinge mechanism 104 to provide a foldable portable telephone. An auxiliary display 101 and a camera window 102 are disposed on an outer surface of the upper half case 20. A CCD camera (not shown) is provided in the rear of the camera window 102. Furthermore, arranged in a side portion of the camera window 102 on an outer surface of the upper half case 20 is a mirror member 103 for projecting the user's self image thereon to thereby adjust the direction of the camera when the user is to photograph the user's self image.

However, the conventional portable telephone with camera has the problem that when a picture is taken with the CCD camera in the dim light, natural light does not provide sufficient brightness to make the taken image unclear. An auxiliary light source is arranged on the portable telephone with camera for making up for the brightness in photographing.

The portable telephones have become increasingly made compact. When the CCD camera and the auxiliary light source are arranged on such a compact portable telephone, the CCD camera and the auxiliary light source need to be mounted in the close proximity. Accordingly it is necessary to use a common optical cover for covering both the CCD camera and the auxiliary light source or to provide an optical cover for covering the CCD camera and an optical cover for covering the auxiliary light source which are in contact with one another. In this case light emanating from the auxiliary light source in part is reflected in the optical cover to impinge on the CCD camera, causing halation. Consequently there rises the problem of degradation of picture quality of an image photographed with the CCD camera due to the halation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a portable telephone with camera wherein the degradation of picture quality is prevented when a camera and an auxiliary light source are arranged close to each other.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a portable telephone with camera including a casing 1 provided with an auxiliary light window 23 adjacent to a camera window 22, and an auxiliary light source 8 disposed in the rear of the auxiliary light window 23 and emitting light in photographing with a camera 7. The camera window 22 is covered with a main optical cover 4, and the auxiliary light window 23 with an auxiliary optical cover 5. The main optical cover 4 and the auxiliary optical cover 5 are arranged close to each other. A light-shield surface is formed between the two optical covers 4, 5.

With the portable telephone with camera of the present invention, the light-shield surface is formed between the main optical cover 4 for covering the camera window 22 and the auxiliary optical cover 5 for covering the auxiliary light window 23. Therefore, when the main optical cover 4 and the auxiliary optical cover 5 are provided in contact with each other, even a part of light beam emanating from the auxiliary light source 8 travels, inside the auxiliary optical cover 5, to the main optical cover 4, the light beam is shielded by the light-shield surface. Accordingly the light beam will not impinge, from the main optical cover 4, on the camera 7.

Stated specifically, the main optical cover 4 is formed with an opening 43 for mounting the auxiliary optical cover 5. An outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary optical cover 5 or an inner peripheral portion of the opening 43 of the main optical cover 4 is given light-shield treatment to provide said light-shield surface. According to the specific construction, the auxiliary optical cover 5 is fitted around the opening 43 of the main optical cove 4 to provide one optical cover. The light emission to the inside of the auxiliary optical cover 5 is, however, shielded by the light-shield surface, so that the light does not leak out to the inside of the main optical cover 4.

Stated further specifically, the optical cover formed with the light-shield surface comprises a transparent optical cover main body portion 54 made of a first synthetic resin and an outer periphery layer portion 55 which is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 54 and made of a second synthetic resin. An outer peripheral surface of the outer periphery layer portion 55 is selectively plated with metal, and is thereby given the light-shield treatment. According to the specific construction, the light-shield surface can be easily formed by double injection molding and electroless plating as conventionally known.

As described above, the portable telephone with camera of the present invention is adapted to prevent the degradation of picture quality caused by the arrangement of the camera and the auxiliary light source in the close proximity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable telephone embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in section taken along the line A-A of the portable telephone;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in section showing a main optical cover and an auxiliary light source which are mounted on an upper half case;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the portable telephone;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the main assembly of the portable telephone;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view in section of the main assembly of the portable telephone;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the auxiliary optical cover;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view in section of the auxiliary optical cover;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the conventional portable telephone with camera.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The portable telephone with camera of the present invention comprises an upper half case 2 and lower half case 3 which are connected by a hinge mechanism 10 to provide a foldable portable telephone as shown in FIG. 1. A main board 31 and sub-board 32 are installed inside a casing 1 as shown in FIG. 2.

Mounted on the main board 31 is a liquid crystal display 6 serving as an auxiliary display as shown in FIG. 4. Mounted on the sub-board 32 are a CCD camera 7 and an auxiliary light source 8 comprising LED. Provided on the upper half case 2 are a display window 21 for exposing the liquid crystal display 6, a camera window 22 for exposing the CCD camera 7, and an auxiliary light window 23 for exposing the auxiliary light source 8.

Mounted on the upper half case 2 are a main optical cover 4 for closing the display window 21 and the camera window 22, and an auxiliary optical cover 5 for closing the camera window 22. The main optical cover 4 is made of a transparent resin containing polycarbonate or acrylic. The main optical cover 4 is formed with a transparent display-window cover portion 41, which is opposed to the liquid crystal display 6, and is also formed with a transparent camera-window cover portion 42, which is opposed to the CCD camera 7. The remaining surface area of the main optical cover 4 is decorated with printing. Furthermore the main optical cover 4 is formed with an opening 43 which is to be fitted to the auxiliary optical cover 5.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the auxiliary optical cover 5 comprises a main body 54 having a flange 53 projecting from an outer periphery and made of transparent resin containing polycarbonate or acrylic, and an outer periphery layer portion 55 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 54 and made of ABS resin. Such a two-layer structure can be easily formed by a known double injection molding. The outer peripheral portion of the auxiliary optical cover 5 is plated with nickel by electroless plating to thereby form a light-shield surface 52 which is selectively nickel-plated over the ABS resin. The light transmission rate of the light-shield surface 52 is preferably less than 10%.

The auxiliary optical cover 5 is formed with a half-mirror treated surface 51 by applying to the surface of the main body 54, aluminum, gold, silver, chromium, or titanium, etc. In this case, a visible light transmission rate of the half-mirror treated surface 51 is in the range of 10% to 90%. As the transmission rate is higher, the surface has more improved function of mirror while the attenuation rate of the auxiliary light is increased, so that the light transmission rate is suitably set depending on brightness of the auxiliary light source 8.

The upper half case 2 is formed with a stepped wall 26 for mounting the main optical cover 4 as shown in FIG. 5. The stepped wall 26 is provided with the display window 21 and the camera window 22. A flange portion 25 projects from the stepped wall 26 for receiving the flange 53 of the auxiliary optical cover 5. The auxiliary light window 23 is provided inside the flange portion 25.

When the main optical cover 4 and the auxiliary optical cover 5 are to be mounted on the upper half case 2, double-faced adhesive tapes 9 are interposed, respectively, between opposed faces of the stepped wall 26 of the upper half case 2 and the main optical cover 4, between opposed faces of the flange 53 of the auxiliary optical cover 5 and the main optical cover 4, and between opposed faces of the flange 53 of the auxiliary optical cover 5 and the flange portion 25 of the upper half case 2, and the main optical cover 4 and the auxiliary optical cover 5 are then secured to the upper half case 2, as shown in FIG. 6.

In the above procedure, at first, the auxiliary optical cover 5 is mounted on the main optical cover 4 with the double-faced adhesive tape 9, and the main optical cover 4 is thereafter mounted on the upper half case 2 with the double-faced adhesive tape 9. This makes mounting process easier than that in the case where the main optical cover and the auxiliary optical cover are separately mounted on the upper half case. Therefore, the main optical cover 4 and the auxiliary optical cover 5 are integrated into one optical cover.

The flange 53 of the auxiliary optical cover 5 is held between the flange portion 25 of the upper half case 2 and an edge portion 43 a of the main optical cover 4 defining its opening as seen in FIG. 3. Accordingly even if a great depressing force is applied to the auxiliary optical cover 5, the auxiliary optical cover will never fall off to the interior of the casing since the auxiliary optical cover 5 is received by the flange portion 25 of the upper half case 2.

The double faced adhesive tape 9 is interposed, respectively, between the flange 53 of the auxiliary optical cover 5 and the edge portion 43 a of the main optical cover 4, and between the flange 53 and the flange portion 25 of the upper half case 2, to thereby provide waterproof and dustproof protection completely between the main optical cover 4 and the auxiliary optical cover 5.

With the portable telephone with camera described, the CCD camera 7, which is opposed to a cover portion 42 of camera window of the main optical cover 4, can receive light passing through the cover portion 42 of camera window and impinging on the camera as shown in FIG. 2. This enables the user to photograph a subject positioned in front of the camera.

The auxiliary light source 8 is opposed to the auxiliary optical cover 5. Light emitted from the auxiliary light source 8 in large part passes through the half-mirror treated surface 51 of the auxiliary optical cover 5, so that the subject positioned in front of the camera can be illuminated by light emission of the auxiliary light source 8. In this case the light emission from the auxiliary light source 8 does not leak out from the auxiliary optical cover 5 to the main optical cover 4 because the light-shield surface 52 is formed around the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary optical cover 5. The light emission, therefore, does not impinge on the CCD camera 7. Thus there is no likelihood that the photographed image with the CCD camera 7 has degradation of picture quality due to halation. On the other hand, light from outside impinging on the auxiliary optical cover 5 in large part is reflected on the half-mirror treated surface 51, so that the subject positioned in front of the camera is caught on the half-mirror treated surface 51.

Accordingly, when the user's self image is to be photographed with the CCD camera 7, the direction of the casing 1 is adjusted so that the user's self image can be caught on the auxiliary optical cover 5, and then the user manipulates the shutter with the self image caught on the auxiliary optical cover 5. This causes the auxiliary light source 8 to emit light, and at the same time, the CCD camera 7 performs a photographing operation, with the result that the user's self image is photographed with sufficient brightness.

With the portable telephone with camera of the present invention, the auxiliary optical cover 5 not only performs the function of a light emission window of the auxiliary light source 8, but performs the function of a mirror member wherein the subject is caught on the half-mirror treated surface 51 of the auxiliary optical cover 5, as described above. Therefore, it is not necessary to save space for providing the mirror member in addition to space for providing the auxiliary optical cover 5, whereby the casing 1 can be made compact.

Furthermore, the auxiliary optical cover 5 is fitted around the opening 43 of the main optical cover 4 to provide one optical cover, so that the CCD camera 7 can be mounted in the closest proximity to the auxiliary light source 8. Accordingly the casing 1 can be made compact.

The device of the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment in construction but can be modified variously within the technical scope defined in the appended claims. For example, a camera having CMOS as an image pick-up device can be used in place of the CCD camera 7. A halogen lamp can also be used as the auxiliary light source 8 instead of LED.

The half-mirror treated surface 51 can also be formed on the rear surface of the auxiliary optical light cover 5. Instead of the metallic thin film for forming the half-mirror treated surface 51, an organic thin film can also be used. Furthermore, while the half-mirror treated surface 51 is formed on the front surface of the auxiliary optical cover 5, the rear surface is lens-surface treated to give the auxiliary lens function to the auxiliary optical cover 5.

For the light shield between the main optical cover 4 and the auxiliary optical cover 5, the light shield surface 52 need not always be formed around the outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary optical cover 5. Alternatively, an inner peripheral portion of the opening 43 of the main optical cover 4 can be given the light shield treatment. 

1. A portable telephone having a camera 7 mounted as opposed to a camera window 22 provided on a casing 1, the portable telephone with camera being characterized in that the casing 1 is provided with an auxiliary light window 23 adjacent to the camera window 22, an auxiliary light source 8 being disposed in the rear of the auxiliary light window 23 and emitting light in photographing with the camera 7, the camera window 22 being covered with a main optical cover 4, the auxiliary light window 23 being covered with an auxiliary optical cover 5, the main optical cover 4 and the auxiliary optical cover 5 being arranged close to each other, a light-shield surface being formed between the two optical covers 4,
 5. 2. A portable telephone with camera according to claim 1, wherein the main optical cover 4 is formed with an opening 43 for mounting the auxiliary optical cover 5, an outer peripheral surface of the auxiliary optical cover 5 or an inner peripheral portion of the opening 43 of the main optical cover 4 being given light-shield treatment to provide said light-shield surface.
 3. A portable telephone with camera according to claim 2, wherein the optical cover formed with the light-shield surface comprises a transparent optical cover main body portion 54 made of a first synthetic resin and an outer periphery layer portion 55 which is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 54 and made of a second synthetic resin, an outer peripheral surface of the outer periphery layer portion 55 being given the light-shield treatment by plating the outer peripheral surface with metal. 